


The Beginning

by My_Trex_has_fleas



Category: Poldark - All Media Types, Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Genre: DarkHawk, Gen, JimmyDark, Treasure Island/Poldark Crossover AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-20 01:46:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3632001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Trex_has_fleas/pseuds/My_Trex_has_fleas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shot which shows how Jim, Preston and Halford meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Lighters and pinnaces are small boats which transport goods and people respectively to ships at anchor. And yes, Preston comes from a long line of naval officers. He has three older brothers who are all on board ships. His father is a retired naval captain. Preston is also the baby, being a full eight years younger than his brother Alexander. 
> 
> Jim is 13 here and Preston is 14, but Preston has already been at sea for two years.
> 
> Prompted by a request from WeTheRebelSkies. Thank you, this was a brilliant idea!
> 
> As always I do not not own these characters or works.

Portsmouth, England. 1769

The two travellers made an odd pair, too unalike for them to be taken as father and son. The man was a tall fierce looking fellow with an awe inspiring pair of thick black eyebrows and eyes to match, while the boy, who was slender and a little small for his age, had blue eyes and was golden haired. They sat in the coach, the boy clutching a worn leather travel bag to his chest. They had travelled for several days from the west coast of England, their voices carrying the distinctive burr of Somerset. 

The road into Portsmouth wound past the castle at Kenilworth. The boy looked out the coach window, his clear blue eyes shining with excitement. 

‘Look Mr Trelawney.’ The man shuffled along his seat to look out past where the boy was pointing. 

‘Yes Jim.’ he said, ‘That is Kenilworth Castle. It was built in the eleventh century I believe.’

‘The Normans?’ Jim asked falling back into his seat.

‘Yes I believe so. It is a most impressive construction.’ 

The coach swept around the landward side of the castle and Jim’s eyes grew even wider as he took in the great sweeping estuary, and beyond that, a line of wooden docks as far as the eye could see and the lines of roofs and buildings in the distance. In the harbour beyond were the shapes of ships at anchor.

‘Gosport lies to the right, does it not? And Portsmouth to the left?’

‘Yes, that is correct.’ Trelawney looked with affection at the boy next to him. It had been a good six months since their return to England and he had grown somewhat attached to the boy since the events on the accursed island he had led them to. He also felt some sort of strange responsibility for getting Jim into the whole sorry mess in the first place, even if they had made a good haul out of it. He had been rather surprised when Jim had requested his assistance in providing him with a means to enter His Majesty’s Navy, as he had thought the boy thoroughly glad to see the back of their adventure. He had duly complied though, and contacted Captain Smollett who had given them the name of a good friend of his who was the Captain of the HMS Steadfast, which had been berthed in Portsmouth. He had written in enquiry, and set up a three month long correspondence which had resulted in a letter of introduction finding its way to certain people with a promise to consider the boy for service. It had then bought with it an official looking letter which held an offer for Jim to join a ship in Portsmouth, which had recently lost two midshipmen due to fever while serving in the tropics. A general shortage of suitable boys had served in Jim’s favour and he was fortunate enough to now be in the position to finance his expenses from his own pocket. So it was without much ado that books, equipment and uniforms were ordered from London under Trelawney’s guidance, and they were now safely stowed away in the heavy wooden sea chest that was strapped to the rear of the coach. 

The coach made its way into Portsmouth, stopping at the naval dockyard. Jim, Trelawney and the other three passengers alighted, and Trelawney quickly secured a porter to help with their luggage. They made their way through the crowds of people, until Trelawney spotted a likely looking man, dressed in an officer’s uniform. Jim stood a few paces behind, looking around him and breathing the rich stink of the salt air, hemp, wood and tar. From where he stood he could see the gathered masts of the ships out in the harbour. Trelawney returned and gestured vaguely out in their direction.

‘Well, your ship is out there somewhere, Jim. The HMS Dragon. I believe your new Captain is a fine fellow by the name of Marcus Sellar, one of the youngest in His Majesty’s fleet. Now we must find a boat to take you out to her. I believe there is another boy here as well who is bound for her. Perhaps we shall be able to find him and you can ride out together.’ He led Jim along until they reached one of the wooden docks that ran into the water. All around the docks, small boats – lighters and pinnaces alike – jostled for position. By luck, when they arrived at the end of the dock they discovered another boy who was accompanied by a Lieutenant. Jim looked at the boy in interest. He was a head taller and thin to the point of skinniness. His thick black hair flopped over his eyes, which were such a pale grey they seemed almost silvery. He spotted Jim and a bright smile lit up his pale face. 

‘Ah.’ Said Trelawney doffing his hat to the Lieutenant, ‘Would you be the other lad for the Dragon.’ The pale faced boy looked at the Lieutenant, who gave him a nod.

‘Aye sir.’ He said, ‘I am to be taken on as a midshipmen, sir. I was formerly on the Pinnacle but there was no longer room for me.’ 

‘You certainly did yourself no favours.’ The Lieutenant remarked, and the boy flushed and dropped his head. ‘Mr Preston here has been fortunate enough to be given the gift of the gab, and yet does not possess the requisite self-control to restrain himself from using it. And while it is true that he is being sent to the Dragon due to the taking on of the son of a man who is a great friend to the Pinnacle’s captain, I wonder if he also did not do it to save his ears from your continuous prattle.’ 

‘Yes sir.’ The boy named Preston muttered dejectedly. 

‘Well lad, you will be in good company.’ Trelawney said, clapping his hand down on Jim’s shoulder and making him jump a little. Preston met Jim’s eyes and gave him a small smile in sympathy. ‘My young charge here is recently come up from the West Country to seek a life upon the seas.’

‘Indeed.’ the Lieutenant said, and Jim noted that he had the same silvery eyes as Preston. ‘And do you have a name young man?’

‘James Hawkins, sir.’ Jim replied.

‘Well met then Mr Hawkins. I am Second Lieutenant Alexander Preston of His Majesty’s Ship Dreadnought. And this,’ and he gave the pale boy a little shove towards Jim, ‘is my youngest brother William.’ Jim nodded in deference to the Lieutenant. 

‘If you wish you may leave Mr Hawkins in my care.’ Lieutenant Preston said. ‘I will make sure he and Will get to the ship together.’ 

‘That is most kind of you sir.’ Trelawney said, ‘I will take you up on your offer, as I am sure I can be of no further assistance.’ He turned to Jim. ‘Be a good lad now, and look to your officers. Remember to always comport yourself as a gentleman, and I’m sure you will doing splendidly in no time.’ He offered his hand to Jim who shook it gravely.

‘Thank you very much Mr Trelawney.’ he said, ‘You will look in on Mother while I am gone?’

‘I will indeed. Now I will be off. My thanks once again Lieutenant.’ And with that he took his leave, disappearing into the throng that crowded the docks. Lieutenant Preston beckoned the porter who had Jim’s sea chest closer and instructed him to place it with another that was already at the side of the dock. Jim paid the man, and Lieutenant Preston hailed a waiting pinnace.

‘These two are bound for the Dragon.’ He said, ‘See to it they make it safely would you. As trying as this one is,’ and here he pinched Will’s ear, smiling as Will tried to dodge, ‘he is our mother’s favourite and she would see me hanged if any harm befell him.’ 

‘Aye sir.’ the man called back. The other men with him climbed agilely on to the dock and together they got the sea chests aboard followed by the boys.

‘Goodbye Will,’ his older brother called, ‘Do try not to irritate anyone in the first twenty-four hours would you.’ Will stuck out his tongue at him, and as they pulled away from the dock’s Jim could hear Lieutenant Preston’s sharp cry of laughter.

The pinnace was a small craft with a single sail and two oarsmen. They pulled it clear of the dock, and the light wind caught the sail, bringing them out into the harbour. The man the Lieutenant had spoken to took the tiller and guided them towards a ship on the left. As they approached, Jim’s eyes widened as he took in the beautifully crafted lines of the ship that would be his new home for the foreseeable future. She was a two deck, three masted frigate, with a roomy quarterdeck at stern and twenty-eight guns. Her sails were reefed, but he could see she had a full complement. As they passed her bow, he looked up at the figurehead, a magnificently carved figure of a dragon, its mouth open and a single plume of flame escaping from it. They came around the bow and pulled alongside. The tiller man hailed the ship and a head appeared over the side, looking down at them.  
‘Two midshipmen for the Dragon.’ The tiller man shouted up.

‘Excellent!’ the man replied. Jim could see a weather beaten face and a head of steel grey hair. ‘Send them up.’ 

Lines were lowered from the davits and the sea chests hauled up. A seaman threw down a rope ladder and the two boys made their way up the side. Once aboard they were confronted by the grey haired man, who was not as old as Jim had first surmised. He looked at them with eyes that were as grey as his hair.

‘Welcome aboard the Dragon lads, he said, smiling affably at them. ‘I am Mr Kent and who would you be?’

‘Mr Hawkins, sir.’ Jim replied. Will followed, his voice a little shy.

‘Mr Preston, sir.’ 

‘Very good lads. Lieutenant Holloway.’ he called and a young man in his mid-twenties with dark brown hair and eyes approached. Jim took in the immaculate uniform and pleasant, if sharp featured, face. ‘These two are our new midshipmen sir.’ Holloway gave Jim and Preston a once over and seemed to find them to his satisfaction. He in turn called to another boy, his uniform also immaculately turned out. He was closer in age to Jim and Will, perhaps about sixteen. ‘Halford, these are our two new middies. Get them stowed away below if you please.’ Halford approached and gave them a friendly smile. He was tall and well put together, with thick straight sandy hair and eyes that were a remarkably dark green. Jim was reminded of the wine bottles from his mother’s tavern when the sun shone through them. Next to him, Will was staring in open admiration. 

‘Aye sir.’ Halford said, before turning to Jim and Will. ‘Come with me, I’ll show you the midshipmen’s berth and then we can get you familiarised with the ship.’ He beckoned to two seamen to take the chests and led the two boys along the deck.


End file.
